Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Spikeopath After the success the previous year of The Night Stalker, Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) returns for another feature film. The intrepid reporter with a quip on the lips and a disdain for the unbelievers in the suit wearing echelons, is now in Seattle and quickly realises that the current spate of killings are more than just the work of a serial killer. But can he convince the authorities of this?The formula is exactly the same here, Kolchak simultaneously locks horns with his editor and all the law enforcement people in his arc. He does a voice over for us, proves to be clearly better than the law officers in charge of the case, drops sarcasm as pearls of wisdom, and of course has charisma in abundance. The difference here is that the villain, elegantly played by Richard Anderson, has a voice, a sort of Count Dracula for the modern setting, a Eugene Tooms in embryonic form, he's a great villain and this in turn gives Kolchack more to get his teeth into. Of course the ending is never in doubt, but there's a whole bunch of fun and 70s style scares to enjoy during the ride. Joining the ever enjoyable McGavin are Jo Ann Pflug, Simon Oakland (again great foil for McGavin), Scott Brady, Wally Cox, Margaret Hamilton and John Carradine. A TV series would follow, such was the popularity of the character and its monster of the week formula, and it would influence none other than The X-Files some years down the line. Kolchack, legacy earned and warranted. 7.5/10

MartinHafer While I really didn't think there was enough of a formula for an entire series, producer/director Dan Curtis shopped around three different TV movies hoping to be able to eventually get the go ahead for a series. First, Darren McGavin starred in "The Night Stalker". Second, he returned with Kolchak and brought McGavin back for "The Night Strangler". Oddly, instead of giving a chance for the networks to accept or reject this series, Curtis also made "The Norliss Tapes" and it was shown on TV only a few weeks after the second Kolchak film--even though the basic story was pretty much the same. Regardless, ABC soon okayed the series "Kolchak: The Night Stalker". I loved it as a kid, but see why the show only lasted a season. After all, how many monsters could the reporter uncover until the idea got repetitious? My watching "The Night Strangler" was actually a wonderful coincidence. In a few weeks, I am traveling to Seattle and the film is set in Seattle. The reason this is so exciting is that a major part of the show is the mysterious abandoned underground city--which I assumed was fictitious. However, I did a bit of research and there really IS an underground city--and they do tours!! As I have a couple free days, you can guess what I'll be going to see. I'll try to update this review afterwords.In the first film, the reporter Carl Kolchak (McGavin) was working in Las Vegas when he discovered a vampire--yes, a vampire. Instead of being applauded for his efforts, he was fired from the paper. Now, he's in Seattle--and so is his incredibly grouchy old boss (played wonderfully by Simon Oakland). Against his better judgment, he hires Kolchak--who then begins investigating a weird string of murders. Thanks to some help from a researcher at the paper (Wally Cox), he soon learns that the same pattern occurs every 21 years since just after the Civil War--6 young women are murdered and the modus operandi is identical. Eventually, he comes to realize that it's the work of a fiend who has learned the secret to keeping himself alive for almost 150 years--by draining the blood from these women and using it to make some elixir! Despite an ending that is reminiscent to "Dr. No" (where there was a conveniently located self-destruct button for James Bond to push!), this is a very good film--better than the first one. The biggest reason is the spooky setting--particularly the underground. You really felt creeped out by this--which is great for such a film. Additionally, the sense of humor of the film is quite nice--with the repartee between Kolchak and his poor boss providing a lot of laughs--particularly just as the credits are about to roll. Fun and well worth seeing.

jefffisher65-708-541158 The night Strangler is a better film in ways than 1972's The Night Stalker, and, of course, is the second TV-film featuring Darren McGavin as the seedy but ever-determined reporter Carl Kolchak. This film set up the comedic elements more strongly which carried-over into the TV series the following year. I must admit that Jo Ann Pflug is a heroine more to my taste than Carol Lynley(if something of a motormouth). she does seem a bit old to be a psychology undergraduate, not that it shows a bit in her belly-dancing scenes, of course.As others have noted, Richard Anderson's Dr. Malcom Richards is perhaps his best role, if fairly-brief - I do tend to think he is a somewhat sympathetic villain, much more so than Janos Skorzeny in the first film. He seems to have started out with a noble goal in mind before madness overtook him. His elixir of life does seem to make him bulletproof as well as giving him superhuman strength, and agility, else many of Seattle's police force are remarkably poor shots.In the novel by Rice, it is strongly hinted at that Richards is much older than in the film, and probably the historical figure Count St. Germain. Germain was an alchemist believed by some to have perfected something similar which extended his lifespan several times over a normal range for those interested in looking into him.I have wondered what it was Kolchak tosses throw Vincenzo's office window near the climax - a desk clock? To give Vincenzo credit, he did, indeed, try to publish the real story this time, though - I think in the series, only other instance of this was in "Primal Scream." have to love the closing scenes with Louise in the car along with Carl, and Tony! Clearly they never made it farther east than Chicago, but always wondered where Louise ended up...

JLRMovieReviews Darren McGavin gives an over-the-top performance as Kolchak, a journalist who has a habit of getting mixed up in murders of the offbeat kind. It seems there's somebody (or something) out there that's killing p.y.t.s and taking their blood. (For those not in the know, that's pretty young things.) Present day is 1973, but it seems that this occurs every 21 years and started back in 1889. Darren as Kolchak and Simon Oakland as his boss, the editor of "The Daily Chronicle," both seem to live at the top of their voices and hold nothing back in their aggravation of each other. With a great cast in support of Darren, including John Carradine, Margaret Hamilton, Richard Anderson, and Scott Brady as the law, this is one film not to be missed come Halloween time. There are laughs and spooks abound in this creepy tale of the dead stalking and killing in order to keep alive! Don't say you haven't been told! But, who'd believe it!